Improvement in clasps for fastening



Patented Aug. 16, 1859.`

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UNITED STATES PATENT GFEICE.

HAZARDKNOWLES, or NEW YORK, N. Y.

IMPROVEMENT lN CLASPS FOR FASTENlNG-BANDS 0N COTTON-SALES, &c.

Specification forming part of Letters Paten-t No. 25,! 25. dated August lG, 1859.

To a/ZZ whom it may concern.-

Be itknown that I, HAZARD KNowLEs, of the city, county, and State of New York, have invented a certain new and Improved Self- Fastening Coupling-Clasp for Straps or Hoops; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying dra-wings, making part of this specification, in whiehi Figure lis a top view of the coupling-clasp applied to the two ends of an iron strapVFig. 2, a longitudinal section, and Fig. 3 ahorizontal section taken at the line A a of Fig.. 2j

lIhe same letters indicate like parts in all the figures.

The object of my invention is to fasten lthe end or ends vof straps or hoops for 'binding bales of cotton and other packages, and for other purposes. Many plans have been invented for this purpose, as substitutes for rivets, but so far as I am informed they have all been found to be objectionable in practice, and especially so'as applied to the .baling of cotton. The leading objects 'are so to couple or connect the .ends of the straps or hoops that but little time and skill will be required in making the application, and to effect the coupling by simply inserting the end or ends in the coupling or clasp, and so that without puneh ing holes, or bending or otherwise weakening the strap or hoop, the end or ends thereof shall be firmly gripped to resist any forceapplied to draw it or them out; and my said invention consists in effecting this purpose by means of a roller combined with andplaced within the wedge-formed mortise or opening of a sleeve, so that the end of the strap or hoop to be secured may be readily inserted in the said mortise in one direction, and when force is applied in the opposite direction, the friction ofthe said roller shall cause it to be drawn and rolled toward the small end ofthe mortise,

.and thereby cause the roller to bind and grip the strap against the opposite face of the niortise by a force increasing as the force increases which is applied to draw it out.

' In the accompanying drawings, my invention is represented as applied to a bale of cotton; and in the said drawings a represents a bale of cotton, and b an iron strap, such as is usually employedfor hooping bales of cotton;

and c metal a Sleeve with a mortise, d, made through it to receive the ends of the strap b. This mortise should be Va little wider than the strap, to admit ofl the ready insertion of the ends of the strap, and,as represented, it should be wedge-formed in the direction of the length of' the strap, and of such depth as to receive freely the two ends-of the strap lapped on each .other, and a cylindrical metal roller, e, when the said roller is at or toward the buttend of the mortise, but the other end of the mortise should be less in depththan the diameter of the roller and the thickness of the two straps; and to prevent the roller from dropping out of the mortise, the upper surface of the mortise at each end is formed with a fiange, f. lThe roller is without journals and rests on the outer surface of the upper end of the strap, and lies between that and the upper inclined surface of the mortise. In applying this to a bale of' cotton, while under pressure, after bending the strap b around the bale, the end b is inserted in the mortise d and under the roller, and then the other end, b, is inserted into the small end of the mortise and between the other end, b',

of the strap,an d the roller which rolls toward the flange on the wide end ofthe mortise to admit of the free entrance. The strap is then drawn tight by pulling on the end b, but the moment it is liberated and the tension begins to` draw it back in the direction of the arrowthat is, toward the small end of the mortisethe friction of the strap on the periphery of the roller carries it (the roller) toward the small end of the mortise until it cornes in contact with the upper inclined surface of the mortise, at which time it begins to roll and wedge down the fstrap with a bite so strong that neither end ot' the strap can be drawn out, for the greater the force applied to draw out the strap the more the roller becomes wedged into the mortise, and the more firmly it grips the strap against the bottoni of the mortise.

In this way it will be seen `that bales and other packages can be strapped or ho'oped with great expedition, and by means which will clamp the ends ofthe straps as firmly ifnot more firmly than by any other known inode, and Without reducing the strength of the straps, and without injury either to the straps or to the clamping sleeve androller, so that the means employed can, if desired, be used again;

-. could not operate Withouttnrning on journals,

which not only rendered the construction expensive, bnt the act-ion was not sure, for the reason tlmt any impediment to the tnrningof the roller onpits journals-would prevenl the grip, and 'unless the strap wasforced up in Contact with the" roller vthere was nothing to insure-its turning, lull of which defeats are avoided by my invention. l'

.What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is'-' The method of securing straps by means lof -a roller,`substantially snch' as described, .in

combination with thewedge-formed mortise, of the sleeve which receives the strap, substantially as described'. Witnesses: HAZARD KNOVVLES4 ANDREW DE LAcfY, WM. H. BISHOP. 

